A week of warmth is ahead

Tyler Benjamin, 21, left and Nena Plocek, 20, enjoy the abnormally warm weather by relaxing on the Reitz Union North Lawn on Wednesday, January 9, 2013. About the weather, Benjamin said, "It's hot and humid today, I don't like it."

Published: Wednesday, January 9, 2013 at 7:17 p.m.

Last Modified: Wednesday, January 9, 2013 at 7:17 p.m.

Bring out your flip-flops and shorts again, because for a week Gainesville should be warm and sunny. Beginning Thursday, temperatures will be in the high 70s and low 80s until they drop to lower temperatures a week from now, forecasters say.

According to Zaaron Allen, senior meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Jacksonville, this sudden week of warm weather will be caused by a high pressure system above North Central Florida. As the pressure intensifies, the warmed air is pushed down and the temperature in the area underneath the air increases.

Temperatures for the next week are expected to be 15 degrees above normal for this time of year, just shy of records, Allen said. The skies are predicted to be partly cloudy with little chance of rainfall, and Allen predicts no fire danger issues.

"It's just going to be a long period of pleasant, relatively dry, warm winter weather," he said. "Not really summer weather, but warmer and not as humid."

Healthy individuals will not react to the sudden change in weather, but people with allergies and arthritis might notice a flare up in their symptoms when the cold weather returns, said

Alexandra Odocha, a nurse at the Primary Care Institute in Gainesville. People with arthritis might have stiff joints, while people with allergies might have the usual symptoms of itchy eyes, a watery nose, sneezing and coughing.

"However, people who experience allergy symptoms during this period who previously did not have symptoms should go see their doctor about it," Odocha said.

Dr. Robert Fields, a family physician who works for Shands, also said most people's bodies won't react to the rapid changes in temperature. The flu virus going around will not be affected by the change, he said.

"During the winter, we tend to stay indoors and in close quarters, which lets viruses spread quickly," he said. "Although we will be outside for this week, it will probably have no effect on lowering the number of flu cases."

<p>Bring out your flip-flops and shorts again, because for a week Gainesville should be warm and sunny. Beginning Thursday, temperatures will be in the high 70s and low 80s until they drop to lower temperatures a week from now, forecasters say.</p><p>According to Zaaron Allen, senior meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Jacksonville, this sudden week of warm weather will be caused by a high pressure system above North Central Florida. As the pressure intensifies, the warmed air is pushed down and the temperature in the area underneath the air increases.</p><p>Temperatures for the next week are expected to be 15 degrees above normal for this time of year, just shy of records, Allen said. The skies are predicted to be partly cloudy with little chance of rainfall, and Allen predicts no fire danger issues.</p><p>"It's just going to be a long period of pleasant, relatively dry, warm winter weather," he said. "Not really summer weather, but warmer and not as humid."</p><p>Healthy individuals will not react to the sudden change in weather, but people with allergies and arthritis might notice a flare up in their symptoms when the cold weather returns, said</p><p>Alexandra Odocha, a nurse at the Primary Care Institute in Gainesville. People with arthritis might have stiff joints, while people with allergies might have the usual symptoms of itchy eyes, a watery nose, sneezing and coughing.</p><p>"However, people who experience allergy symptoms during this period who previously did not have symptoms should go see their doctor about it," Odocha said.</p><p>Dr. Robert Fields, a family physician who works for Shands, also said most people's bodies won't react to the rapid changes in temperature. The flu virus going around will not be affected by the change, he said.</p><p>"During the winter, we tend to stay indoors and in close quarters, which lets viruses spread quickly," he said. "Although we will be outside for this week, it will probably have no effect on lowering the number of flu cases."</p>